Plani



w. s. HAMPSHER.

CURTAIN FIXTURE- ATlN v 1,313,237. Patented Aug. 12, IQIQ.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

WALLACE H AMPSHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CURTAIN-FIXTURE.

Application filed October 26, 1918.

To all 'whom z' may concern Be it known that I, WALLACE S. HAMP- SHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Fixtures, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, in which corresponding numerals of reference in the different figures indicate like parts.

The object of my invention is to provide simple, cheap and effective means for controlling laterally slidable curtains by means of one or more pull co-rds. To these ends, my invention consists in the combination of elements hereinafter more particularly described and definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a plan view of curtain Xtures and controlling means embodying the features of my invention, said lixtures bein@F shown as they would appear when attached to a window-frame, the latter being shown in horizontal section,

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the upper portion of a window frame showing my improved fixtures and controlling means applied thereto as they would appear when the curtains are closed, the lower portions of said curtains being shown as broken away,

Fig. 3 is a like view showing a modified construction,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one form of bracket and shive fixture, and

Fig. 5 is a like view showing a modified construction.

Y Referring to the drawings, 1, Fig. 1, indicates an ordinary window frame, upon theV front face of which, at or near the top, is secured, in any approved way, outwardly extended brackets, 2, 2, best shown in Figs. 1 and 4, having metal pulley-blocks, generally designated by 3, attached to or formed thereon. Said blocks are composed of four parallel leaves 4f, spaced apart as shown. In the two outermost spaces are located sheaves 5, which are j ournaled upon bolts or rivets 6, projected through transverse bores in said blocks, thereby providing a space between the two innermost leaves for the reception of the ends of a horizontally arranged supportd ing rod 7. The outer ends of said rod are bent downwardly in hook-form, as shown at S, Fig. 2, andV are inserted 'in said middle Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

Serial No. 259,812.

space between the two inner members 4, so as to engage that portion of the member 6 which passes through them.

Vhile the curtain supporting rod 7 may be made in one piece, I prefer to make it in two and toconnect the meeting ends by means of a turnbuckle 9, Fig. 1, to enable it tobe placed under the requisite tension.

Rigidly attached to the supporting rod by means of a set-screw 10, or'otherwise, is a pulley-block 11, Figs. 1 and 2, which is arranged to extend outwardly from the rod in a horizontal position at the' left of the turnbuckle 9, said block having a grooved pulley 12 therein, while a like pulley block 13, is se- .cured in like manner to the supporting rod at the right-hand of said turn-buckle, but arranged to extend rearwardly from said rod, a pulley 14, being journaled in said block.

A curtain 15, preferably provided with metal eyelets 16, arranged at 'proper distances from each other at or near its upper edge, is folded in zigzag form, as shown, while the supporting rod is threaded through saidy eyelets so as to permit the curtain to slide loosely thereon. A bolt 17 is passed through a bore in theupper part of the right-hand pulley-block 3, and through the curtain 15 at vits right-hand edge, which curtain is secured to the rear of said block by means of a nut 18. The opposite edge of the curtain is placed in front of the suspending rod and when in its closed position is adjacent to the pulley-block 11.

A like curtain 19, is loosely suspended in a similar manner upon the left-hand portion of the rod and has its left-hand edge secured by means of a bolt 20 in the pulley-block 3, the edge of the curtain being upon the front face lof said block. The opposite or movable edge of the curtain is located at the rear of the suspending rod so as to be moved, when the curtain is closed, to a position adjacent to the pulley-block 13.

Trained over the outermost pulley 5 at the right-hand, isa pull-cord 21, whic is preferably threaded'through the Aseveral eye"- lets 16 16 and secured by a knot 22, Fig. 1, to an eyelet 23, at orl near the inner or lefthand edge of the curtain, said eyelet being disconnected from the rod. The remaining portion of the cord is then trained around the pulley 12 and thence back through the same eyelet holes to the rear pulley in the right hand pulley block, from which it hangs down, as shown at 24, parallel to the part 21. By pulling downwardly upon the dependingv part 21 of the cord the curtain is caused to be drawn to the right while a like pull upon the part 24 causes its reversal.

A cord 25 is trained in like manner over the front pulley in the left-hand pulleyblock 3, tied in like manner to an eyelet at the inner edge of the curtain 19, said eyelet beingl disconnected from the rod, from which it is trained around the pulley la and back through the eyelet 16 to the rear pulley-wheel at the left hand. It will be obvious that the curtain 19 may be moved in either direction by either the portion 25, or that which hangs adjacent to it.

In order that the folds of the curtain may be properly adj usted when the curtain is closed, I provide a second series of smaller eyelets 26, through which a tape or cord 27 is threaded and looped successively through the eyelets 16, as shown at 28, Fig. 2. This arrangement provides for any desired adjustment of the folds with respect to cach other, and the length of the tape should be such that when the curtain is closed through the action of the pull-cord, the tape will be caused to be taut and will serve to distribute the folds in their proper relation.

It will be noted that by placing the pulley-blocks 12 and 13 upon opposite sides of the center and connecting the right-hand curtain to the block upon the left of the center, and the left-hand curtain t-o the right-hand block, the curtains, when closed', will be caused to overlap each other, thereby effectually shielding` the window.

In windows of considerable width, it may be necessary to use auxiliary sustaining means for the supporting rod. This may be accomplished by means of a link 29, Fig. 2, attached to a screw-eye or staple 30, upon the window frame and connected with the rod 7 by means of a ring 31.

In Fig. 3, I have shown a modified construction in which the turn-buckle 9 and the pulley-blocks 11 and 12 are omitted, while the supporting-rod 82 is in one piece. In the present example but one pull-cord 33, used, which is trained over the front" sheave of the right-hand p ulley-block, thence: through the eyelets and over one sheave of the left-hand pulley-block, and thence back to the rear shcave of the right-hand pulleyblock so that the depending ends 34: and 35, respectively, will beat the right-'hand side of the window.

That portion of the cord which extends from the front right-hand sheave toward the left is knotted or otherwise attached to the left-hand edge of the curtain 15, while the return portion of said cord is secured in like man-ner to the right-hand edgeV of the Curtain 19. It follows, therefore, that when the dependingY portion 34" of the cord is pulled, the curtains will be opened and when the part -is pulled they will be closed.

An important advantage of the end p ulley-blocks is that they serve as an effective anchorage for the supporting rod which is locked in place by means of the bolts 17 and 20 at the respective ends.

I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown, inasmuch as it mi y be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A curtain fixture, comprising, in combination, bracket members for supporting the fixture at opposite ends, each comprising a. pulley-block having pulleys therein, a curtain-rod detacliably anchored to said bracket members, curtains havin-g` predetermined portions thereof mounted to slide in opposite directions upon said rod while a portion extending outwardly from the inner edge of each curtain is disconnected from said rod, brackets rigidly mountedI upon said rod at the right and left hand' respectively of its middle, one extending forwardly and the other rearwardly, a pulley on the extended end of each of said brackets, cords for connecting said pulleys respectively with the end pulley blocks farthest therefrom, one of said cords being attached to the inner edge of one and the other with the inner edgey of the other of said curtains to enfable said curtains to be moved in opposite directions with their inner edges overlapping` each other when closed;

2. A curtain fixture, comprising in combination, bracket members for supporting the fixture at opposite ends, each: having pulleys therein, a two-part curtain-rod" detachably anchored at its outer ends to said bracketl members, means for placing' said rod under tension, curtains having` predetermined portions thereof mounted to slide in opposite directions upon said rod' while a portion of each extending outwardly from the inner edge of each curtain is disconnected from said rod, brackets rigidly mounted upon said rod at the right and left hand respectively of its middle, one'extending forwardly and the other rearwardly, a pulley in the extended end of each' of said brackets, cords for connecting said pulleys respectively with theA end pulley-blocks farthest therefrom,` one of said cords bei-ng attached to the inner edge of one and theother to the inner edge ofv the other of said' curta-ins to enable said curtains to be movedin opposite directions and to cause their edges to be overlapped when closed. Y 3. A curtain fixture, comprising, in cornbination, bracket members for supporting' the fixture at yopposite ends each comprising a pulley-block having pulleys therein-mountn edl upon an axial bearingA member' with az space between said pulleys for receiving the end of a curtain-supporting rod, a curtainsupporting rod having hooked ends for detachably engaging said axial bearing member, -a two-part curtain-rod, a connecting turnbuckle thereon for regulating the tension thereof, curtains having predetermined portions thereof slidably mounted upon said rod, a given portion commencing at the inner edge of each being disconnected from the rod, brackets rigidly7 mounted upon said rod adjacent to, but in opposite directions away from its middle, one directed forwardly and the other rearwardly, a pulley in the extended end of each of said brackets, cords for connecting said pulleys respectively with the end pulley-blocks farthest therefrom, one of said cords being attached to the inner edge of one and the rother to the inner edge of the other of said curtains to cause an overlapping of the latter when closed.

. 4. A curtain ixture in which is'combined end-pulleys, an intervening curtain-supporting rod, forwardly and rearwardly extended members mounted upon said rod near its middle and spaced apart, said members hav- `ing pulleys in their extended ends, curtains having a predetermined portion of each extending from the outer toward the inner edge mounted to slide upon said rod, while a portion extending reversely from the inner edge is free from said rod, a ull-cord trained over one of said end pul eys at one end, thence connected with the inner edge of the adjacent curtain and trained around the pulley upon the extended member farthest therefrom and back over the companion end pulley, a like cord trained over an opposite end pulley, attached to the inner edge of the adjacent curtain, thence around the pulley of the other extension member and back to the companion end-pulley, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. The combination with -a curtain rod and means for supporting it-,of curtains slidably mounted upon the rod, a portion of each curtain extending outwardly from the inner edge being disconnected from said rod to permit an overlapping of the inner edges, two end pulleys at each end, pulleys supported by said rod near its middle, one in front and the other in the rear of the rod, and a separate pull-cord for each curtain, said cord being attache-d to the inner edge of the curtain, trained over the end pulleys at one end and around the pulley mounted upon said rod farthest from said end pulleys.

6. The combination with a curtain-rod and means for supporting the same, of curtains having eyelets in their upper edges, said rod being threaded through a predetermined number of said eyelets in each curtain extending from the outer tow-ard the inner edge, the inner edge of one curtain being disconnected from the rod and located in front thereofl while the inner edge of the other curtain is disconnected from the rod and located behind it, end-pulleys, pulleys supported upon the rod between the ends but away from the middle, one being in front and the other behind the rod, and pull-cords, each of which is trained over the end pulleys at one end, around one intermediate pulley and connected with the inner edge of the curtain upon the side upon which said end pulleys are located.

7. The combination with a curtain rod and means for supporting the same, of curtains having a row of eyelets in their upper edges, a supporting rod threaded through said eyelets, the curtains being arranged in folds in zigzag form upon said rod, adjusting cords for actuating said curtains upon the rod and Hexible means for holding said eyelets at predetermined distances from each other when the curtains are closed.

8. The combination with a curtain rod and means for supporting the same, of curtains having a row of eyelets in their upper edges to receive said rod, each curtain being arranged in folds thereon, an actuating cord for each curtain, pulleys at opposite outer edges of the curtain for receiving said cords which are connected respectively with the inner edges of the curtains, intermediate pulleys over which said cords are trained, and flexible means such as a cord or tape, for connecti said eyelets at measured distances to ena le the folds to be maintained and accurately spaced when a pull-cord is actuated to close the curtains.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 24th day of October 1918.

WALLACE S. HAMP SHER.

Witnesses:

DAVID H. FmToHER, HARRY I. CRoMnR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the. Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

